116 THE HERRING FISHERY 



in London, but the enterprise, perhaps the 

 first attempt to carry out the suggestions of the 

 anonymous author of " Britain's Buss," was not 

 a success. 



In 1661 the Parliament of Scotland, follow- 

 ing the English policy in matters relating to 

 commerce, passed navigation laws for the 

 encouragement of native shipping and naviga- 

 tion, as also an Act for founding companies to 

 extend the herring and other fisheries, and 

 .granting bounties on the export of fish — a 

 policy that was subsequently carried out on 

 many occasions. 



In the same year, Charles II. constituted the 

 Royal Fishery Company of Great Britain 

 and appointed the Duke of York, Lord Claren- 

 don, and others to form a committee or 

 council ; the project however, came to nothing, 

 although the enterprise was more free from 

 restrictions than the undertaking favoured by 

 the Commonwealth Government in 1654. The 

 new company was privileged to set up a lottery 

 and to collect funds in all parish churches; 

 taverns, inns and alehouses were compelled 

 by law to buy one barrel of herrings at 30^. 

 per barrel and a duty of 2^. 6d. per barrel was 

 paid to the company by persons who imported 

 foreign-caught herring. 



Two years later, by a Statute for The 

 Farther Improvement of Former Navigation 

 Acts, and for the Encouragement of the North 

 Sea, etc., Fisheries, no fresh herrings were 



